Plugboard assembly



May 30, 1967 A. L. BUSH ETAL PLUGBOARD ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1964 W0 OO O 00 1 0000 00000 OO++++++++4++++++++++++++++OOOO kw+++++++++4 b O 0 y z+++++++++++++++++++++ +++++4++++++ I (I +++++4+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I ++++++++++++++++O+OO+++-++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++OOOOOO++++++++++++++ G 5w+++++++++++++++++ 0 O+++++++++++++ l 7 ++++++++++4++++++++O+++++++++++++++ 2 k I w l m O F I ++++++++++++++4++++++++++++++++++++ r I 4 l 7 h 3 m 2 4 WW An y O+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++O 2 fi .URP/. .L1 /OO++. .+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++2 u a 9 7 3 fi O O++++++++++++++k++++++++++++00 0 a 6 01 O O+++++++++++++++++++++++O OO O nus 9 r at T3 OJ 9 I l L I 59 l 3i? 1 7%? m@ v fl w fir ufi k 1 L fi IJ l 4 5 lll'll A. L. BUSH ETAL PLUGBOARD ASSEMBLY May 30, 1967 Filed Aug. 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 L+++4++++++++++++++++++ ++++|T+++++++++++++++++++.T ++++++4 @@+4 \(2 May 30, 1967 A. BUSH ETAL PLUGBOARD ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 4, 1964 y 30, 1 6 A. L. BUSH EI-ITAL 3,323,095

PLUGBOARD AS 5 EMBLY Filed Aug. 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. l4.

FIG. l3.

FIG-.IZ.

United States Patent 3,323,095 PLUGBGARD ASSEMBLY Austin L. Bush, 'llrussville. and Charles L. .lerman, Walter R. McDurmont, Leon C. Minor, and Billy Joe Walton, Birmingham, Ala, assignors to Anderson Electric Corporation, Leeds, Ala, a corporation of Alabama Filed Aug. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 387,465 14 Claims. (Cl. 339-18) This invention relates to a plugboard assembly, and more particularly to such an assembly which is adapted for interconnecting circuits in computers, sorters, printers, telemetering apparatus and other electrical apparatus.

Accordingly, among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an improved plugboard assembly for electrically connecting a plurality of contacts with respective patch pins or the like; the provision of a plug-board assembly of the type described wherein good electrical connections are maintained between engaged patch pins and contacts even though the plugboard assembly is subjected to shock and/or vibration; the provision of an improved plugboard assembly which can be mounted in substantially any position; the provision of an improved plugboard assembly which effectively prevents inadvertent opening of circuits through the plugboard; the provision of an improved plugboard assembly by means of which relative movement between parts of the assembly is effectively controlled; the provision of an improved plugboard assembly in which the parts thereof are easily assembled and held in assembled relation; and the provision of plugboard assemblies which are rugged in construction and reliable in operation. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is an end or top view of a plugboard assembly incorporating features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the plugboard assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of one side FIG. 1;

FIGv 4 is a view of the bottom of the assembly as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the other side of the assembly;

FIG. 6 is a view, partially in cross section, showing the patch board assembly in position to be placed in the receiver assembly;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, showing the patch board assembly partially mounted in the receiver assembly;

FIG. 8 is a view, partially in cross section and partially cut away, showing the patch board assembly in the receiver assembly and in an unlocked position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 with the patch board assembly locked in the receiver assembly;

FIG. 10 is a transverse cross section taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section illustrating the relation between patch pins of the patch board assembly and contacts of the receiver assembly when the assemblies are in the position shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 when the parts of the plugboard assembly are in the position shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 11 when the parts of the plugboard assembly are in the locked position shown in FIG. 9;

of the assembly of 3,323,995 Patented May 30, 1967 FIG. 14 is an enlarged elevation view of one of the contacts; and

FIG. 15 is a view taken from the left end of FIG. 14.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a plugboard assembly of the invention is shown in its entirety at 1 and includes a receiver assembly 3 which is open at the front and receives and mounts a patch board assembly 5. A multiplicity of patch pins 7 are shown mounted in patch board assembly 5. Receiver assembly 3 has spring contacts or fingers 9 which project outwardly therefrom and are engageable by pins 7 when the patch board assembly 5 is mounted in receiver assembly 3. In use, the contacts or fingers 9 and pins 7 interconnect electrical circuits of associated apparatus, such as a computer, a sorter, printers, telemetering equipment and other electrical apparatus.

The receiver assembly 3 includes a generally rectangular frame 11 having side rails 13 and 15 and end walls 17 and 19 which are secured to a base 21. A contact board 23 is mounted in the base 21 of frame 11 and has a plurality of holes or openings 25 which are arranged in rows and columns extending longitudinally and transversely across the board 23 to receive and mount the contacts 9. Each hole or opening 25 is enlarged at one end to provide a flange or shoulder 27 in the contact board 23 (see FIGS. l1-13).

Each contact 9 has a hollow collar portion 29. A generally cylindrical sleeve 31 has a portion positioned within the collar portion 29 of contact 9 and the sleeve is spot welded or soldered to the contact. Each sleeve 31 is positioned in one of the holes or openings 25 with the end engaging the shoulder 27 in the hole 25. The collar portion 29 and sleeve 31 are both made from an electrical conducting material. Terminals or pins 33 are crimp connected to electrical conductors 35 and pins 33 are positioned in sleeves 31 to thereby electrically connect the conductors 35 to the contacts 9.

The contact 9 has an elongate flexible, finger-like spring arm 37 which projects from the collar portion 29 and the .free end or tip 39 of the contact 9 has a contact surface 40 shaped to snugly engage a patch pin 7. The contact surface 40 on tip 39 is preferably curved concavely transverse the length of the arm as shown at 41 and is curved convexly longitudinally of the length of arm 37 as shown at 43. The convex curve 43 extends across the concave curve 41 and the curved surfaces 41 and 43 together form a generally saddle-shaped contact surface 41 The curved surface 41 is in at least point contact with the side wall of the patch pin 7. The downwardly extending margins as viewed in FIG. 15 of the concave surface 41 constitute shoulders which prevent inadvertent disengagement between the surface 41 and a patch pin 7, the shoulders being particularly desirable when the apparatus is used in environments where the assemblies are subjected to vibration and shock which tend to disengage the contact 9 from the patch pin 7.

The inner surface of side rail 13 of the frame 11 has an elongated groove or recess 45 therein extending from one end portion of the side rail to the other end portion thereof and the side rail 15 has a similar groove or recess 47. A carriage or carrier indicated generally at 48 comprises two side members 49 and 51 and a cross bar 52 secured to ends of the side members. The side members are positioned in the recesses 45 and 47, respectively. The side members are shorter than the recesses and slide longitudinally in the recesses between two positions. The carrier side members 49 and 51 have generally elliptical holes 53 and 55, respectively, through the ends thereof, the holes being elongated transverse to the length of the side members. i

A shaft 57 has eccentric end portions 59 and 61. Sleeve bearings 63 and 65 journal the end portions 59 and 61 of the shaft in the side rails 13 and 15 of the frame 11. Shaft 57 passes through the holes 53 and 55 in the side members 49 and 51. Two cam members 67 and 69 on end portions of the shaft 57 are located within and engage the walls of the holes 53 and 55, respectively. The cam members 67 and 69 are free floating and move with the shaft 57 or with the side members 49, 51. Since shaft 57 is eccentrically mounted, rotation of shaft 57 moves the shafts central axis in an arcuate or eccentric path and the cam members 67 and 69 are moved against the surfaces of the holes 53 and 55, thereby moving the carrier side members between two positions in the recesses 45 and 47. A cover 70 on the upper portion of frame 11 encloses shaft 57.

A handle 71 is secured to end 61 of shaft 57 by pins 73. A cylindrical latch member 75 is aflixed to the side rail 13 of the frame 11 and has two spaced recesses 77 and 78 therein. A pawl 79 is mounted in a recess 80 in the handle 71 for rotation about the axis of a pivot pin 81. A spring 83 reacts from the bottom of recess 30 against one end portion 84 of the pawl and biases the other end portion 85 of the pawl 79 into the recesses 77 and 78 on the latch member 75. Pawl end 85 is retracted from engagement with either of the recesses 77 by manually depressing a flange 87 on end portion 84 of the pawl 79 thereby permitting movement of the handle 71. When flange 87 of pawl 79 is released, the spring 83 biases end 85 of the pawl toward recesses 77 and 78. A hole 88 in pawl 79 is provided to receive a padlock, etc. (not shown) to prevent depression of end 84 and thus movement of handle 7. Pawl 79 and spring 83 are enclosed by a cover 89.

The recesses 77 and 78 are shown approximately 90 apart in FIG. 3. However, any desired spacing and number of recesses can be provided. The recesses 77 and 78 are located relative to the end 85 of pawl 79 and relative to the mounting of the handle '71 on shaft 57 so that the handle can be locked in position with the central axis of shaft 57 in two extreme positions of movement, that is toward and away from the Wall 19 of the frame 11. Thus the carrier 48 may be locked in two positions.

The carrier cross bar 52 is spaced from the end wall 17 of the frame 11 and from the shaft 57. Two detents 93 are mounted in the cross bar 52 and springs 94 bias the detents 93 so that end portions of the detents 93 normally project from the cross bar 52 toward the end wall 19 and the frame 11.

The carrier side members 49 and 51 are adapted to accommodate mounting means on the patch board assembly 5. As best illustrated in FlGS. 6-9, one end of side member 51 has a curved groove 95 which is intersected by a straight groove 97. The straight groove 97 is registrable with a slot 99 in side rail 15 by movement of the carrier side member 51 to a first position where its end is nearest wall 19 of frame 11. See FIGS. 6-8. A semicircular notch 101 in the upper edge of the side member 51 is registrable with slot 103 in the side rail 15 when side member 51 is in its first position. The groove 97 is out of register with the slot 99 in the side wall 15 and notch 101 is out of register with groove 103 when the side member 51 is in a second position away from the end wall 19 as shown in FIG. 9. Side member 49 has a straight groove 105 intersected by a curved groove 107. Side rail 13 has a slot 109 and side member 49 can be moved to its firstpositi-on to place groove 105 in register with slot 109. A notch 111 is located in the upper edge of side member 49. A slot 113 in side rail 31 is in register with notch 111 when side member 49 is in its first position.

The patch board assembly 5 includes a frame 114 having side walls 115 and 117 and end walls 119 and 121. Recesses 120 in end wall 119 are engageable by detents 93 when the patch board assembly is mounted in the carrier. Outwardly extending handles 123 and 125 are pro- 4 vided on the edges of the side walls 115 and 117, respectively, and are utilized when inserting the patch board assembly in or removing assembly 5 from the carrier as explained. A rectangular .patch board 127 is carried by the frame of the patch board asembly and patch board 127 has a multiplicity of holes or openings 129 therethrough to receive the patch pins 7. Sleeves 131 (FIGS. 11-13) in the lower or inner ends of the holes or openings 129 are engaged 'by shoulders on patch pins 7 and prevent chipping or cratering of the patch board 127 by the patch pins 7.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6-9, two pivot pins 135 on one end of the side walls 115 and 117 of the patch board assembly 5 extend laterally for engagement in the straight grooves 97 and 105, respectively, in the carrier side members 49 and 51. Pins 135 are made larger than grooves 95 and 107 so that they will not inadvertently be placed in grooves 95 and 107. Two locking pins or studs 137 on the one end of the side walls 115 and 117 of the patch board assembly are spaced from but adjacent the pivot pins 135 and extend laterally into the curved grooves 95 and 107 in the respective side members 49 and 51. Two additional locking pins or studs 139 project outwardly from the other end of the side walls 115 and 117 for engagement in the respective arcuate notches 101 and 111 in the side members 49 and 51 after having passed through the slots 103 and 113 in the side rails 13 and 15. The locking pins or studs 139 are preferably generally semicylindrical in shape as illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The pivot pins 135 and locking pins 137 and 139 provide mounting means for connecting the patch board assembly to the receiver assembly. The pins on the patch board assembly and the grooves or notches in the carrier which receive them constitute .interengageable means on the patch board assembly and the carrier for coupling the patgh board to the carrier for conjoint movement therew1t- FIGS. 6-9 illsutrate the manner in which the patch board assembly 5 is placed into the carrier 48. The handle 71 is elevated to move the carrier to its first position and place the grooves and notches in the carrier side mem bers 49, 51 in register with the slots in the side rails 13, 15. The patch board assembly 5 is grasped by handles 125 and move to the position illustrated in FIG. 6, and then moved in the plane of its frame until the pivot pins 135 are received in the grooves 97 and 105 in the carrier. The patch board assembly is then swung about the pivots 135 to the FIG. 7 position with locking pins 137 in curved grooves 95 and 107. The end Wall 119 of the patch board receiver frame is forced against the spring biased detents 93 to retract the detents against springs 94, and the patch board assembly 5 is moved into the FIG. 8 position in the carrier. The patch board assembly 5 is held in this position by the detents 93 projecting into recesses 120 in the end 119 of the patch board assembly.

The patch board assembly 5 is locked in the receiver assembly 3 by lowering the handle 71 as illustrated by the arrow in FIG. 8 until end 85 of pawl 79 is engaged in the recess 77 in latch member 75. This movement of handle 71 rotates the shaft 57 which moves the carrier 48 upwardly toward the end wall 17 of the receiver assembly and into its second position with the grooves and notches in the carrier side members out of register with the slots in the said rails 13 and 15 of the receiver assembly. Thus the patch board assembly 5 is locked in the receiver assembly 3. In this position the pivot pins 135 and the locking pins 137 and 139 on the patch board assembly are positioned relative to each other so that longitudinal, transverse and outward or pivotal movement of the patch board 5 relative to receiver assembly 3 is prevented.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate relative movement between the patch pins 7 in the patch board 127 and the contact members 9 in the contact board 23 when the patch board and receiver assemblies are in the positions shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

In FIG. 11 of the drawings the patch board assembly, carrier and receiver assembly are approximately in the position illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings. The carrier is in its first position and the patch pins 7 and contact members 9 are out of engagement with each other. Movement of the patch board assembly about the pivot pin 135 from the FIG. 7 to the FIG. 8 position causes movement of the patch pins 7 in the direction illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 11 and into the position shown in FIG. 12 and at this time no contact is made between the patch pins 7 and the contacts 9. The contacts 9 are mounted so that the contact surfaces on tips 39 are facing the pins 7. Movement of the handle 71 to the lowered position to move the carrier to its second position also moves the patch board assembly in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 12 and simultaneously moves all of the patch pins 7 into contact with contact members 9 as illustrated in FIG. 13. This movement of the carrier and receiver assembly is substantially monoplanar movement relative to the frame in a plane substantially parallel to the face of the contact board. The contact members 9 are deflected slightly as a result of locking movement of the patch board assembly in the receiver assembly and this insures good contact between the pins 7 and the contacts 9. In addition, the shape of the ends 39 of the contacts 9 results in at least point contact between the patch pins 7 and the contacts 9 to result in better electrical contact between the parts. Good contact is maintained even when the assemblies are subjected to vibrations and/ or shocks which might otherwise tend to disengage the patch pins 7 from the contacts 9.

Plugboard assemblies of the type illustrated in the drawings must undergo severe testing to be acceptable for use in certain applications. For example, the plugboard assembly may be subjected in testing to vibrations of cycles to 2 thousand cycles per second and simultaneously subjected to shocks ranging from 1 to 8 Gs. A plugboard assembly of the type shown in the drawings has withstood shock and vibration without loss of contact between the patch pins'7 and the contacts 9.

Contact between the various patch pins 7 and the contacts 9 is simultaneously broken by upward movement of the handle 71 to cause movement of the patch pins 7 away from the contacts 9, that is, from the position shown in FIG. 13 to the position shown in FIG. 12. Thus the plughoard assembly of the invention does not rely on the spring tension of the contacts 9 to cause disengagement between the pins 7 and contacts 9. This is one of the features of the plugboard of this invention which permits it to be mounted in any attitude or position, that is, a vertical position or a horizontal position, without affecting the operation of the device.

In a typical prior-art device, a long continuous cam surface of a receiver directly engages a patch board to provide the locking connection therebetween. When subjected to continuous and substantial vibrations and/or shocks, such a patch board assembly frame may reach a resonant frequency and vibrate on the continuous cam surface to produce irregularities on the cam surface which may cause accidental disengagement between patch pins and contacts to inadvertently open circuits. The plugboard assembly of the invention avoids this problem by the narrow cam contact surface, by using a carrier assembly, and by the patch board assembly being mounted on the carrier portion of the receiver assembly in such a manner that the patch board assembly cannot be moved longitudinally, transversely or pivoted outwardly relative to the receiver when in the operating or locked position. And, in addition, the preferred saddle-shaped tip 39 of the contacts 9 further insures good electrical contact between the patch pins 7 and the spring contacts 9 even during vibrations and shocks.

The construction of the handle 71 and the associated latch or locking mechanism including the end portion of pawl '79 which is automatically engageable in the recesses 77 and 78 of the latch member 75 results in positive positioning of the patch board assembly relative to the receiver assembly in two positions, that is, a mounting position and a locking position.

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A plugboard assembly comprising a receiver having a plurality of contacts, a patch board carrying patch pins for engagement with certain of said contacts, means associated with said receiver engaging said patch board and operable to move said patch board between a first position wherein the patch pins are out of engagement with the contacts of said receiver and a second position Wherein the pins engage respective contacts, said means includ ing a handle and cooperating latch means associated there with operable to lock said patch board and said receiver in said second position, said latch means including a latch member on said receiver having spaced recesses therein and a pawl pivotally mounted on said handle alternately positionable in each of said recesses in said latch member.

2. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 1 additionally including spring means engaging said handle and said pawl urging said pawl into said recesses in said latch member.

3. A plugboard assembly comprising a receiver assembly including a frame and a contact board mounted in said frame, a plurality of spring contacts carried by the board and extending outwardly from one face of the board, a carrier including two side members slidable endwise within the frame, a patch board assembly carrying patch pins for engagement with certain of said contacts, said patch board assembly being removably mounted in the carrier and movable en-dwise therewith, means for moving said carrier and patch board between a first position wherein the patch pins are out of engagement with the contacts of the receiver and a second position wherein the pins engage respective contacts, said frame being rectangular and having side rails and end members, the front of the frame being open and the side rails of the frame being recessed on the inside thereof to slidably receive the side members of said carrier, the patch board assembly including side walls having pivot pins extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof and a set of locking pins extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent the other end thereof, the side: members of the carrier having grooves for receiving the pivot pins and notches for receiving the locking pins, and the side rails of the frame having slots registrable with the grooves in the side member and additional slots registrable with the notches when the carrier is in its said first position and out of registry respectively therewith when the carrier is in its second position whereby the patch board assembly is positively locked to the carrier and within the frame in said second position.

4. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said grooves receiving said pivot pins are straight, and wherein said patch board side walls have a second set of locking pins extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent said one end thereof, said carrier side members further respectively including a set of curved grooves intersecting said straight grooves for receiving said second set of locking pins whereby said patch board assembly is firmly locked against movement in any direction relative to said receiver assembly in said second position.

5. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means for moving the carrier comprises cam means carried by a shaft journalled for rotation in said receiver assembly, said shaft having a handle thereon for manually turning said cam means, and latch means associated with said handle for locking the cam means in said second position.

6. A plugboard assembly comprising a receiver assembly including a frame and a contact board mounted in said frame, a plurality of spring contacts carried by the board and extending outwardly from one face of the board, a carrier including two side members slidable endwise within the frame, a patch board assembly carrying patch pins for engagement with certain of said contacts, said patch board assembly being removably mounted in the carrier and movable endwise therewith, means for moving said carrier and patch board between a first position wherein the patch pins are out of engagement with the contacts of the receiver and a second position wherein the pins engage respective contacts, said carrier further including a cross bar extending between said side members and afiixed at its ends thereto, said cross bar having a spring-biased detent projecting therefrom, and said patch board assembly having an end wall with a recess for engagement by said detent in both said first and second positions.

7. A plugboard assembly comprising a receiver assembly including a generally rectangular frame and a contact board mounted in said frame, said frame being open at the front and having side rails and end members with said side rails being recessed on the inside thereof, a plurality of spring contacts carried by the board and extending outwardly from one face of the board, a carrier including two side members slidable endwise within said recesses in said side rails of the frame between a first and a second position, said carrier further including a cross bar extending between and connected to said side members, said cross bar having spring biased detents projecting therefrom, a patch board assembly carrying patch pins for engagement with certain of said contacts, said patch board assembly including side walls having two pivot pins and a first set of two locking pins extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof and a second set of two locking pins extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent the other end thereof, the side members of the carrier having a set of straight grooves for receiving the pivot pins and notches for receiving said first set of locking pins, the carrier side members further including a set of curved grooves intersecting said straight grooves for receiving said second set of locking pins, said patch pins being out of engagement with said contacts when said carrier is in said one position with movement of said carrier between said first and second positions moving said patch pins into engagement with certain of said contacts, said patch board assembly having an end wall with recesses therein for receiving said detents of said carrier, the side rails of the frame having :slots registrable with the straight grooves in the side member and additional slots registrable with the notches when the carrier is in its said first position and out of registry respectively therewith when the carrier is in its said second position whereby the patch board assembly is positively locked to the carrier and within the frame in said second position, and means for moving said carrier and :patch board between said first position and said second position, said means for moving the carrier com prising cam means carried by a shaft journalled for rotation in said side rails of said receiver assembly, said cam means engaging said carrier side members to cause movement of said carrier, said shaft having a handle thereon for manually turning said cam means to thereby move said carrier between said first and second positions, latch means associated with said handle and said receiver assembly for automatically locking the cam means with said carrier in said second position, and means for manually releasing said latch means to permit movement of said handle, cam means and carrier.

8. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein each contact comprises a spring arm projecting outwardly from the receiver and having at its free end a tip engageable by a respective one of said pins, said tips each having a contact surface engageable by the pins when said carrier is in said second position, the contact surface of each of said contacts being curved concavely transverse the arm and curved convexly longitudinally of the arm to thereby present a saddle-shaped contact surface at said tip, said contacts being mounted in said contact board so that said contact surfaces are in facing relation to said pins when said carrier is moved to said second position.

9. A plugboard assembly comprising a receiver assembly having a frame and a contact board mounted in said frame, a plurality of spring contacts carried by the board and extending outwardly from one face of the board, a carrier mounted in said receiver assembly and having a sliding connection therewith for substantially monoplanar sliding movement of the carrier relative to the frame in a plane substantially parallel to said one face of the board, means limiting endwise movement of the carrier in the assembly and preventing movement of the carrier out of said plane, a patch board assembly carrying patch pins for engagement with certain of said contacts, said patch board assembly having a connection with the carrier and being movable by the carrier relative to the receiver assembly, and means for moving said carrier and the patch board between a first position wherein the patch pins are between but out of engagement with the contacts of the receiver assembly and a second position wherein the pins engage respective contacts.

10. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 9 further comprising cooperating pin and groove means on the patch board assembly and the carrier for interlocking the patch board assembly and the carrier.

11. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 9 further comprising a handle pivotally mounted on the receiver assembly, and means interconnecting the handle and the carrier for moving the carrier in said plane parallel to said board face when the handle is swung about its mounting.

12. A plugboard assembly comprising a receiver assembly having a frame and a contact board mounted in said frame, a plurality of spring contacts carried by the board and extending outwardly from one face of the board, a carrier, means mounting the carrier in said receiver assembly for limited sliding movement between first and second positions relative to the frame in a plane substantially parallel to said one face of the board, said mounting means preventing movement of the carrier toward or away from said contact board, the carrier having a groove therein, a patch board assembly carrying patch pins for engagement with certain of said contacts, said patch board assembly having a pin adapted to be inserted into said groove in the carrier when the carrier is in its first position so that the patch board assembly can be swung about the pin into a mounted position on the carrier for movement with the carrier between said first and second positions, the patch pins being out of engagement with the contacts when the carrier is in its first position and the patch pins being moved into engagement with contacts as the carrier is moved into its second position, means on the receiver assembly blocking the entrance into said groove when the carrier is in said second position, thereby preventing withdrawal of the patch board assembly from the carrier when the carrier is the shaft thereby moving the carrier between said first and 10 second positions.

14. A plugboard assembly as set forth in claim 13 further comprising latch means for locking the handle against movement when said carrier is in its first and 1 0 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,407,176 9/ 1946 Piatt et al 339-18 2,594,748 4/1952 Earl 33918 3,166,369 1/1965 Trump 399-18 3,170,746 2/1965 Aksu 339-48 FOREIGN PATENTS 928,119 5/1947 France.

OTHER REFERENCES IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Pittwood, vol. 3, No. 3, August 1960, pp. 21 and 22.

second positions, and means for releasing the latch means 15 MARVIN CHAMPION, Examine!- to permit movement of the handle.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner. 

1. A PLUGBOARD ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A RECEIVER HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS, A PATCH BARD CARRYING PATCH PINS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH CERTAIN OF SAID CONTACTS, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RECEIVER ENGAGING SAID PATCH BOARD AND OPERABLE TO MOVE SAID PATCH BOARD BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN THE PATCH PINS ARE OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTACTS OF SAID RECEIVER AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN THE PINS ENGAGE RESPECTIVE CONTACTS SAID MEANS INCLUDING A HANDLE AND COOPERATING LATCH MEANS ASSOCATED THEREWITH OPERABLE TO LOCK SAID PATCH BOARD AND SAID RECEIVER IN SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID LATCH MEANS INCLUDING A LATCH MEMBER ON SAID RECEIVER HAVING SPACED RECESSES THEREIN AND A PAWL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE ALTERNATELY POSITIONABLE IN EACH OF SAID RECESSES IN SAID LATCH MEMBER. 